Pneumatic ticket dispatch tube for telephone exchanges or the like



Feb. 12, 1935. J MCGREGOR PNEUMATIC TICKET DISPATCH TUBE FOR TELEPHONEEXCHANGES OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 20, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1.

INVENTOR J.E.M.Mc Gr 5 ago? 3 Gina.

ATTORNEY Feb. 12, 1935. J, MCGREGQR 1,990,913

PNEUMATIC TICKET DISPATCH TUBE FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGES OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 20, 1932 3 SheetSSheet 2 F ig. 4.

\NVENTOR JIM. Mo Gregor era.

ATTORNEY Feb. 12, 1935. J. E. M. M GREGOR PNEUMATIC TICKET DISPATCH TUBE FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGES OR THE LIKE s Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 20, 1932 18. ATTOKN EY \NVENTOIZ JLNLMcGr Patented Feb. 12, 1935 PNEUMATIC TICKET DISPATCH TUBE FOR 'TELEPHONE EXCHANGES OR THE LIKE John. Ernest Malcolm McGregor,

London, England Application October 20, 1932, Serial No. 638,760

I In Great Britain October 12, 1931 a 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a system of pneumatic ticket dispatch tubes for telephone exchanges or the like in which tickets or 'docketsare transmitted through tubes from one position to another by means of rarefied or compressed air. These tubes are commonly of rectangular bore, the dimensions of which dependon the-size of ticket to be transmitted; the ticket is provided with a head or sail by folding into the shape of an arrow or other means and is propelled by a current of air in the tube produced by means of a centrifugal fan or blower which maintains a slight vacuum or pressure. 'In the known systems the tickets are deposited in a delivery terminal from which they are removed manually or by means of electrically operated or motor driven devices, as owing to thefact that the ticket has practically no weight its impact is insufiicient to enable it to automatically eject itself.-

According to this invention, in a pneumatic dispatch tube'system for the transport of tickets and such like light articles, the ticket or the like is by-passed out of the main stream int-o a guide in a discharge terminal, the guide being freely open to the air stream so that the ticketis not drawn to a side of the guide and is discharged by striking a door pivoted about a horizontal axis approximately midway of the door, the door being thus self-balanced as regards gravity and air pressures, the door being opened solely by the impact of the ticket or the like.

The action of the apparatus according to the invention for ejecting tickets is purely automatic, the tickets being ejected solely by virtue of their momentum.

The pneumatic ticket dispatch tube system according to the invention may be arranged so that a number of tickets may be simultaneously inserted in the tube at different dispatch points without loss of vacuum or pressure which would prevent the efiicient operation of the system.

The dispatch terminals may be constructed so that the tickets are introduced into the tubes at a high velocity in order to prevent a number of tickets which are simultaneously transmitted from different points interfering with one another and blocking the tube.

The efiiciency of the discharge terminal according to the invention does not depend within very wide limits on the value of the pressure or vacuum used in the tubes.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Fig. l is a front elevation of one form of discharge terminal according to the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 show a side elevation and sectional side elevation, respectively, of the discharge terminal;

Figs. 4 and 5 show'front andside elevations of a dispatch terminal;

Fig. 6 shows a front elevation of another embodiment of a dispatch terminal for use on tubes where the traflic is small or there are few intermediate dispatch points.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified construction of discharge terminal according to the invention.

Fig. 8 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 7.

The dispatch terminal, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is provided with a wire or similar open guide 8 into which the folded ticket is inserted. A sliding rack 9 engaging with a pinion 10is arranged to rotate the two rollers 11, 12 through gearing so that the ticket is gripped and thrust into the tube 4 through the guide 13. In the figures a sliding rack is shown provided with a spring 14, but any suitable means of revolving the rollers may be employed such as a thumb wheel. The rollers may be constructed of metal, rubber or other suitable material and are normally kept in close contact with each other by means of springs 15, the springs allowing-the rollers to open sufiiciently to allow the tickets to pass. This construction of dispatch terminal allows a minimum of leakage from the tube when the ticket is inserted and enables a number of dispatch terminals to be operated simultaneously without seriously affecting the pressure conditions in the tube. Where the tube carries little trafiic, or there is only one dispatch point, a simpler form of dispatch terminal as shown in Fig. 6 may be used. This terminal is provided with a hinged cover plate 16 normally kept closed by a spring 17 and opened only for the insertion of a ticket.

The ticket once inserted in the tube 4 is propelled in the usual way along the tube by the action of the air and is led to a discharge terminal 2 shown in detail in Figs'l, 2 and 3. The terminal is provided with a wire guide 18 through which the ticket passes. A door 19 is provided with pivots 20 and is accurately adjusted so that it is very slightly out of balance as regards air pressures and gravity in order to keep it in the closed position. When the ticket passing through the guide 18 strikes the door 19, the latter swings on its pivots and allows the ticket to emerge, the door then automatically swinging back to the closed position. The door is made of aluminium or other suitable material. A rubber or similar stop 21 is fitted so as to limit the opening of the the terminal through holes 23.; .Ttm airtnassingr through the tube 4 passes throughthese holes-23 on each side of the terminal, leavingthe ticketunafiected and emerges from the terminal. and? into the tube 4 through the opening 24.

- In the modified construction shownimFigsHl. and 8, the ticket guide is formedby a straight extension 30 of the tube 4 and is provided with cut away portions or ports 32 (Fig. 7) at the lower frontiend,.alslidmzfivmmmtednn: theiguide bein provided to control the area of such ports;

The lvacuummrvice ninaebcommunieatesawith the terminal box behind the guide 3 ll;landlthrough he ports: 28 withzthe side; chambers; 22.. These side; chambers: 22 communicate with the; interior of: the terminalr by; war. of; the: holes 23 The door 19 is pivoted at 20. aszim the.. DIES/101150011.-

struotiomandza;rasilienttbackstop. i p v ed for mOSRhQIB- IIhQJM SQJOf adiustin a hes al n i-L ing of: thadoor.v Ir'n thefdesignof thisdoorttwo conditioner-have; to bei mete-Ahaopemand closed conditions, the. balance ina these; two; cases, being difierent; The.doorsismingedrap r xim tely on the centralina-and balanced; so;that; when; open; themrcesactinai: e, atmospheric;pr. u vac.-

- uum;.inrushlof atmosphericsainpoutflow oi;- air from-\the; tube, andi ravity; are; so: resolved; that the; dQOIJDIOD'lDflYF 310563;. In; theclosed condition litihas ito'be-balancedlagainstzthe staticeforces of the various air pressures, gravity and the pres-' sure due to the moving column of air in the'tube.

The area of the top half ofthe door exposed to the atmosphere is therefore modified by contact with its seat, which maybe constructed as an adjustable slide to vary this area, until the balanceuissuch thatthe door Opens under. the impact of the ticket: 7

Inspection doors giving access to the side chambers 22 are provided at 27. It will be understood that the discharge terminal according to this invention, provides-1a.. simple and efiicient device whereby ticketsorthe like are discharged automatically, without cutting'off the vacuum. Although the invention has been described in oonnectionwith tubes of rectangular bore, such as are commonly usedin pneumatic ticket dispatchtube-systems, it is, of course, equally suitable. fora pneumatic dispatch system having v on the-,impactgof:atticketdispatched: through said tube a and a: resilient: stop; to;- limit. the opening; of thee-door and tcn assistdn its closing;

2.,Apneumatic tube system comprisingratube,

aadischarga' terminal having: an; opening, aidoo'r for; saith opening, said. door: when: closed being balanced solely; by gravity/ and. air pressure. so; as tQ;-be:adap ted;to; opengsolelyrby theeimpact of; a ticket, dispatched; through-e. said; tube,v and when opened being.unbalanoedisoithatiit will immedirately' close; solely by: gravitw and pressnrea' and; amadjustabie 5 strip; associated with:said-. dis;- charge terminal; adjacent: thee. edge; ofj said: door whereby 'thearea ,of .thedoon-exmsedeto; ainpressures'rwhen the: door; is closed. max-bee varied; so that: when the .doenmoves; f mmrthe: open; to; the

closedrposition: itzbeoomeszre balancedi 

